Improvement in car-couplings



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLAM C. BUSSEY, 0F JACKSON, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN i CAR-COU PLINGS.

Specification forming. part of Letieis Patent No. 43.969, dated August C0, 1864.

To all w/Lom. itmay concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM C. BUssEY, of Jackson, in the county of Amador and State of California, have invented a new and [mproved CarCoupling; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable auyperson skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying` drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of my invention Fig. 2, aninverted plan of the'same; Fig. 3, aside sectional view of the same, taken in the line :r w, Fig. 2.

.Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several iigures.

Thisinvention relates to a new and im proved car-coupling oi' that class which are commonly termed selfcouplingfv and it consists in the employment or use of an eccentric hook-wheel in connection with a lever, latch, and a trigger, all arranged and applied toa draw-head to operate as hereinafter set forth.

The invention further consists in the employmentor use of a clamp, arranged as hereinafter set forth, for the purpose of holding the coupling link in a horizontal position and admitting of it entering the draw-head of an adjoining car.

A represents a draw-head, the front end of which may be of the usual tlaring'form and the rear part applied to the 'car in the ordi-V nary or any proper way. l

B isa wheel, which is placed eccentrically on a shaft, a, the bearings b of which are in lugs at the under side of the draw-head, the wheel working in a slot, d,:in the bottom of the draw-head. The wheel B has a recess, e, made-in 'its periphery to form a hook, C, as shown clearly in Fig. 3, and just back of this recess e there is made a notch,` f, the use of which will be presently shown. On the lower part ot' the wheel B, at one side of it, there is a projection, g, which serves as a stop to limit the movement of the wheel.

D represents a bent lever, which is attached to one side of the draw-head A, and has its lower end fitted in the outer end of a leverplate, E, the fulcrum-pin h of which is in the under side of the draw-head. This plate E extends across the draw-head Aback of hook- Wheel B, and' the upper i part of the bent lever D is hea-vier than the lower part, and consequently has a tendency to keep the inner part of the plate E in contact with the face of the wheel B.

To the inner side of the upper part of the bent lever l) there is attached by a pivot, t', what I term a trigger, F, which is also of j bent form similar to the lever D, and to the side of the draw-head, just below the trigger F, there is a plate or step, j, on which the lower end oi' the trigger F rests when the lever D is raised, as Shown in red outline 'in Fig. 1. When the lever D is thus raised, the plate E is held out from the face of the hookwheel B.

G represents a shackle or coupling-link, which may be of the usual form, and therefore does not require a minute description.

The operation is as follows: In order to set the coupling' so that'it will connect itself with the coupling of an `adjoining car, the trigger E is-drawn back so as to throw itslower end ott' from the plate or step j, which releases the Ieve'r D and allows it to drop and bring the plate E in contactfwith-the face ofthe wheel B, which wheel, when the lever is released, has its hook C inthe front p'art of the slot d,

and the back of the recess e in line with the Ashackle or coupling-link G', when the latter 4enters the draw-head, and said shackle consequently will strike the back of recess e and turn the wheel B until 'the stop g strikes the under side of the draw-head, at which time the fplateJE will be lforced into the notch f, and

" notch f in the wheel B, and the latter, in consequence of the increased weight at the hook side of the wheel, will turn so that the hook Cl will pass out of theshackle or link, as shown in red outline in Fig. 3.

In order to retain the shackle or link Gin a horizontal position in the draw-hcad, so that it ma)v enter the empty or vacant drawhead of an adjoining car, I employ aspring-clamp, which is composed of a dat spring, H, attached to the upper surface of the draw-head, and

- lia-ving,` a cross-head, k, at itsfront end, pro

vided with one or more pendants, I, which pass through the top of the draw-head and press upon the link and hold it in proper position, horizontal, or nearl57 so, so that it may enter the vacant or empty draw-head.

I'Would remark that any suitable attachment may be applied to lever D in order to raise the latter from the top of the platform or from either side of it'.

Having thus described myii1vention,whatI claim as new, and desire to seeure by Letters Patent, s-

1. The eccentric hook-Wheel B, iu connection with' the lever D, plate E, and trigger F, all arranged tol operate with theshackle or link G in the manner substantially as andtor the purpose herein set forth.

' 2. The spring-clamp composed ofthe spring H and pendants l, one or more, substantially as and for the purpose specified,

WILLIAM C. BUSSEY. Vitnesses: Y 'i J. G HIGH, C. H. BUMPUs. 

